88 The Rice Institute Pamphlet
contemporary art and literature, which causes it to be more
readily called "criticism,” while in that of the art and litera-
ture of a more remote period prevails the narrative tone,
and therefore it is more readily termed “history.” In reality,
true and complete criticism is the serene historical narration
of what has happened; and history is the only true criticism
that can be exercised upon the doings of humanity, which
cannot be not-facts, since they have happened, and are not
to be dominated by the spirit otherwise than by understand-
ing them. And since the criticism of art has shewn itself in-
separable from otlιer criticism, so the history of art can be
separated from the complete history of human civilisation
only for reasons of a literary nature, among which it certain-
ly follows its own law, which is art, but from which it re-
ceives the historical movement, which belongs to the spirit
as a whole, never to one form of the spirit separated from
the others.
Benedetto Croce